If you have a bad diet while your breastfeeding but still take vitamins could this be bad for your baby.... can your baby get high cholesterol and stuff like that or is breast ALWAYS best?

ps. just a random question... THANKS!

As long as you are not drinking or taking drugs ( when it comes to prescriptions talk to the doc) then breast is best. I'm pretty sure you can't pass on high cholesterol. High fat content is actually good for the baby cause they need so much. it is of course better if you eat a balanced diet.

Actually the baby will be fine for the most part but what will be really affected is maternal health. In order to produce milk the mother's body will rob nutrients from it's self in order to lactate. The end result in the short term could be massive hair loss and dental problems. Breastfeeding really is always best for the baby and can be positive for the mother's postpartum recovery too if she maintains a healthy diet.

Actually the baby will be fine for the most part but what will be really affected is maternal health. In order to produce milk the mother's body will rob nutrients from it's self in order to lactate. The end result in the short term could be massive hair loss and dental problems. Breastfeeding really is always best for the baby and can be positive for the mother's postpartum recovery too if she maintains a healthy diet.

Your baby should be fine, as long as it is not a high caffeine/alcohol diet.

Vitamins are great but a balanced diet is best. Make sure you are getting enough from your vitamins because your body will give all the good stuff to baby and not to your body.

Breast IS always best, as long as you're producing a good amount of milk! All your diet really effects is how much milk you make. If you have a poor diet, usually your supply dwindles. But if you're taking vitamins, you should be ok!

It's best for mom to have a very healthy diet, but breastfeeding while eating junk food is better than formula feeding by a long shot!

Obviously it is best for mom and baby if mom eats well, however even in extremely malnourished mothers breastmilk is still superior to formula.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-diet.html
Do I need to maintain a perfect diet while breastfeeding?

The short answer to this question is NO – you do not need to maintain a perfect diet in order to provide quality milk for your baby. In fact, research tells us that the quality of a mother’s diet has little influence on her milk. Nature is very forgiving – mother’s milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardship and famine. A poor diet is more likely to affect the mother than her breastfed baby.

[...]

According to Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D., breastfeeding researcher and anthropologist, women throughout the world make ample amounts of quality milk while eating diets composed almost entirely of rice (or millet or sorghum) with a tiny amount of vegetables and occasional meat.

Are healthy eating habits recommended for mom? Absolutely! You will be healthier and feel better if you eat well. It is best for anyone to eat a variety of foods, in close to their naturally-occurring state, but this is not necessary for providing quality milk or for maintaining milk supply. Although it is certainly not recommended, a breastfeeding mother could live on a diet of junk food – mom would not thrive on that diet, but her milk would still meet her baby's needs.


http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/change-milkfat.html
What affects the amount of fat and calories in a mother's milk?

* Mom's diet? The research tells us that mom's diet does not affect the average amount of fat or calories in her milk. However, mom can change the types of fat in her milk by altering the types of fats that she eats (Lawrence 1999, p. 106-113, 300-305; Hamosh 1996, Hamosh 1991, p. 123-124). An increase of one fatty acid could generally be expected to occur concurrently with a decrease in another. For example, one study has shown that black mothers in South Africa who eat a traditional maize diet have less monunsaturated fatty acid in their milk than urban mothers who consumed more animal proteins and fats (van der Westhuyzen 1988).

* The degree of emptiness of the breast is what research has shown to drive breastmilk fat content, and thus calorie content. The fuller the breast, the lower the fat content of the milk; The emptier the breast, the higher the fat content of the milk (Daly 1993). For more information see I'm confused about foremilk and hindmilk - how does this work? and How does milk production work?

If your diet isn't sufficient then you will have a hard time producing milk. Here's a link for you to read up and see if there are answers to your questin.

It is important to always eat nutritionally and responsibly. This is an extremely important time for your child's development. Why would you knowingly continue to eat "unhealthy" when your child depends upon you? When you don't take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of your baby. When you don't have enough your body will compensate and your health can suffer. An occasional bad day or cheating is expected, but why not start a new day with a better way of eating and living. Fruits, vegetables, less processed foods, less fats, etc. Everything we ingest affects us, soTake care of yourself and your baby! YOU BOTH DESERVE IT !